Marvel ran an ad called “Embrace Change” on ESPN2 last night. You can see it at the MTV blog. The ad doesn’t mention comics at all — instead, it looks like something from a political campaign, or maybe more a public service announcement, with pictures of people and Skrulls interacting. The end links to EmbraceChange.org.

Right now, that website resolves to the standard Marvel.com site, which seems a bad choice. I expected to see a special page explaining what people just saw or what it means or even what comic book series it’s from (Secret Invasion, which is a miniseries that’s almost over). Maybe the website isn’t ready yet? Someone who doesn’t already “speak the language” will be lost. Why not link to this dedicated page?

It’s rather self-indulgent, putting the responsibility on consumers to figure out what’s being sold and what it means, instead of assisting them.

I dunno… on the one hand, I think it’s cool to see comics advertised on television, but this whole viral marketing craze is really getting on my nerves. Most people now seem to think it just means they can make so-called ads that never actually get around to selling anything (like the Gates/Seinfeld Microsoft ads, which I heard today are already ending). Viral marketing is supposed to be a way to stir up some initial curiosity, not be a means to an end on its own.

This is possibly the worst ‘viral’ campaign ever. It does nothing to truly promote interest in the comic itself. It’s a completely boring website which could be designed better by a 6 year old on crack.

I think Marvel needs to step outside of their safe zone a bit more to get people reading their books again. I mean, outside of all the comic to movie adaptations, there is nothing pulling me into reading a Marvel book. Sure, I enjoyed the movies about as much as I enjoy eating a bowl of Fruit Loops: I’d rather have a nice hot plate of eggs, bacon, and toast, but it’ll do in a fix.

Once Marvel Studios has exhausted their main lineup of characters into movie form, I’d give them about a 5 year life span before people stop caring.

I assume that they’re advertising it now, just when the series is almost coming to an end is because they’re setting up the status quo of the Marvel U after all of this is over…which is basically spoiling the entire thing, but Marvel has done weirder things.

Either that, or its simply sustaining ads that supplement the current feel of the Marvel U landscape.